Brother, Oh Brother
by Alsike
Summary: HM AU Shoujo ai. Sometimes one night can change everything, but it might not be the night you think. Dumb romantic comedy type stuff.
1. Chapter 1

It had been a _very_ good night, but now it was morning. The light fell from the windows across the bed and glowed against white skin and soft, curling hair. Haruka pushed her hand across her forehead and started her speech. "I don't want to hurt your feelings, but I'm not looking for anything serious right … now…" she paused. Michiru, the girl naked next to her on this particular morning, was giggling. Haruka scowled, "what?"

Michiru, holding the blankets up, rolled over onto her bare stomach and met Haruka's eyes. "Well, I'm thankful I won't hurt your feelings then, I'm engaged to the president of the company that owns your car. I'm not intending to give that up for an illicit relationship with a playboy racer, no matter how good in bed."

Haruka stared, pulled back, stared again, and gaped. "You're that Michiru? You're Kaioh Michiru?" Michiru nodded.

Then Haruka grinned, "How good was I?"

Michiru rolled her eyes, "You don't need me to give you an ego boost. But, quite satisfactory."

"Oh really? Well, you were rather decent yourself."

"Of course."

"Of course?" Haruka raised an eyebrow, "I've heard of Kaioh Michiru the talented violinist, Kaioh Michiru the inspired painter, Kaioh Michiru the perfect society debutante, but I've never heard of Kaioh Michiru, the vixen playgirl."

"You didn't extrapolate. I'm good at everything I do."

"Including lesbian sex."

Michiru gave her a look; "I would appreciate it if you did not spread this around.

"Hey, hey, do not fault my tact. You hold my secrets as well. I rely on your discretion."

"Oh? Such as that the small of your back is extremely ticklish?"

"Ah, I was hoping you would forget that one."

"You are vulnerable to me always." Her voice darkened. Haruka looked down at her and her face softened suddenly.

"Yeah," she agreed in a sigh. "Wow, you're marrying my boss."

"Have you changed your mind? Do you want me for yourself?"

"Well," she grinned, "perhaps for a few more hours." She caught her lips and they rolled over together, entangled by blankets and love.

……

It was early afternoon now. Haruka was lying in bed alone but awake. The bathroom door opened and Michiru stepped out, her hair, sleek and wet, clinging to her shoulders, droplets of water running down her back and breasts. Haruka sighed. Michiru lifted her hair and tossed her head sending small splashes of water glinting in the afternoon light which had crept down from the bed and across the room. She looked over to Haruka.

"What?"

"Nothing," Haruka almost let the sigh and the pout take over, but then she shook it off and smirked, "Well, actually, it was a 'Wow, I've been in bed with you for, er, thirteen hours, and I still want you."

"Not usually the case?"

"No way. Two hours tops. If someone manages to stay the night, well, you heard my speech. One night is usually too long and too serious for me."

"A record then." Michiru knelt on the bed and leaned over Haruka to reach a stray article of clothing. Haruka caught her and pulled her down, kissing and then sucking on her neck.

"You are the hottest woman I have ever seen in my life," she mumbled into Michiru's shoulder.

"Ahh!" Michiru shrieked and tried to wriggle free. "Don't leave marks! I have to meet my fiancé's mother today!"

Haruka let her up and Michiru crouched over her, sending out a dark look, "love bites are not something I want to explain."

"I'd love to see you try."

………

Haruka eventually let her go. She did have marks on her neck and glowered thoroughly at Haruka while she finished getting dressed until Haruka fled to the shower. She had to go home and find something appropriate to wear, preferably with a high collar, before 4:00 when she was supposed to have tea with her fiancé's mother. After that last 'attack,' as she referred to it in her head, it was almost three and she had to rush.

There were no taxis near Haruka's apartment and Michiru again cursed herself for even setting foot outside her hotel room last night. Her subsequent idiotic decisions were too much for even regret or admonition.

She was engaged! She had no reason to go out to a club by herself, and then, well, she couldn't even say she had gone over her limit, but she remembered that smile from the previous afternoon when Ichiro had taken her to the track to see his company's car race. He had made her laugh, shouting and cheering like a little boy and leaping into the air when the car crossed the finish line two car-lengths before all the others. Ichiro had run down to the track to give the driver two thumbs up when he, well, she actually, climbed out and pulled off her helmet. She gave Ichiro a wide grin that thumped into Michiru's chest, rocking her. She clenched the handrail of the company box, but Haruka never looked in her direction. Ichiro came back up and hugged her and asked her if it had been fun, and she, surprised at herself, had said, yes, it was very fun, and what was the name of his driver? "Haruka," he said, still laughing and happy, "Sorada Haruka."

It hadn't been as if she had gone out for the express purpose of hunting down the pretty supposedly male racer. He had just been there, and he had wandered with an overly nonchalant air over to her. She hadn't so much as smiled at him. And it had been a bit more than surprising when he sat down right next to her and flashed that same distressingly sparkly grin, he had had braces when he was young, definitely, and she realized that she was more attracted to him than she had been to any boy in her life and that the degree of attraction was even comparable to the cause of that rather embarrassing incident with her mother and the pop-star, whom she should have never gotten involved with in the first place. Well, Haruka was another name to add to the list of 'should never have gotten involved with in the first place.'

It had been very confusing at first. She was engaged, 'finally,' according to her mother, and she had resigned herself to the idea that Ichiro was as good as it was going to get. And then suddenly here was a boy who was actually attractive on a level that had no reference to whether he was nice or funny or interesting at all. This was completely new and rather disconcerting, not that she let it show. And a few dances later she was very glad she hadn't let it show because now she understood. It took a close dance to prove it, but she made the proving easy on the racer. A grope was much better accompanied by a kiss.

"Eh, you caught me out," she had said, her cheeks tinged pink.

"I don't mind," Michiru had responded. At that time she had been rather pleased, but now she chided herself for her actions. So she was a very attractive woman, childish and playful and happily sexy, especially with Michiru's lipstick smeared across her mouth and those soft surprised eyes after she had been kissed thoroughly.

"No!" Michiru glared at herself in the mirror. "Stop it! That was it! Your last time with a girl. It was a good time, remember it if you must, but you can't let it ruin your life." she clenched the edge of the vanity table, "Just because you thought she was a boy at first, just because you thought that finally you had found a boy you could be attracted to, really, uncontrollably attracted to, doesn't mean anything has actually changed. You can't have her. You have Ichiro, who isn't frustratingly obnoxious, just as boyish, almost as good-looking, and you just wish that the way he moved or the way he smiled elicited one fraction of the response…"

But she didn't have time for this. She called the car. It was a short ride and she clenched the door handle firmly. "Ichiro is as good as it is going to get," she told herself, "And," she said as the car stopped and she stepped decisively out of the car nearly knocking the chauffeur coming to open the door for her onto the sidewalk and stalking into the hotel and up the stairs. "You are never ever _ever_ going to see that _racer_ Sorada Haruka again."

The door to the tearoom opened and Michiru stopped short. Long legs, swishing knee-length skirt, low heels, boat-neck cup-sleeved shirt, with tousled soft short blonde hair and half apologetic, half mischievous eyes.

Michiru's jaw dropped. Just then the older lady with long waved blonde hair touched by silver at the temples turned her head. "Ah, Michiru. You've arrived at last. Meet Ichiro's sister, my daughter, Haruka."

"Haruka," Michiru laughed inaudibly, "Tennoh Haruka." She stepped forward taking Haruka's hand and looking steadily into her eyes. "That pun is so bad it isn't even funny," she whispered.

"Maybe, but at least I'll get to hear you explain away that hickey." Michiru glowered, then she smiled politely.

"Pleased to meet you, evil ingrate."

"Likewise, sex fiend playgirl."

………….

"Well, Kaioh-san, I was very impressed when Ichiro told me about you, a violinist, how impressive. I tried to get Haruka-chan to learn the piano, but she never took to it."

Haruka leaned along the table and arched an eyebrow. "I never took to it? I played for ten years and you never even asked if I liked it or not."

"But the moment you moved out last year you quit. Nakamura-sensei was heartbroken, and I so miss going to your recitals. You played such pretty songs and looked so cute in that pink dress with all the lace."

Michiru was valiantly trying to hold back her laughter, but Haruka could see it and stuck out her tongue behind her mother's back.

"I haven't worn that dress since I was ten. I remember the day I burned it along with a pair of patent leather shoes and the whole house was full of smoke. The staff was panicking."

"Ahh, that day. You also wrote a vow in blood that you would never ever wear a skirt again." She eyed the long legs that showed beneath the black skirt. "Kids do eventually grow up." She turned to Michiru. "What about you?"

"I can't say I ever had I violent reaction to girly clothing."

Haruka's mother chucked. "No, no. Do your parents come to all your recitals?"

"Oh no, of course not."

"Of course not?"

"I don't think my mother has come to a performance in a few years, and my dad, well, he's in America, but the last time I toured there he came to one."

"What? One?"

"Well, I do have a lot of performances, and they're expensive. I wouldn't even come to mine if I didn't have to."

"Mom came to every one of mine." Haruka looked ironically distressed.

"And you were so talented! She was, honestly, I have such a bad daughter to quit making such beautiful music."

"I didn't want lessons anymore, and I don't have a piano at my apartment, but I come home sometimes and fool around a bit."

"Oh yes, your own compositions. Haruka, you know it takes a long time before you become good enough to actually write music."

"I'd like to hear some sometime actually," Michiru broke in, "I have to say I started composing when I was seven, though none of those are worth revealing to the public. Of course there are only three songs I've written that I can still say I like."

"Which ones?" Haruka leaned close for the answer.

"Mmm, Quiet, Forgotten Destiny, I hate that title but the melody sticks with me,"

"I have both of those! Quiet's my favorite."

"You have my CD's?"

"Ahh," Haruka looked stuck, "er, I didn't buy them or anything. A friend thought I'd like them and burned me a copy."

"I just found that CD in the stereo. You left it there from the last time you came home when you were listening to the same song over and over again and plunking away on the piano to it."

"You what?" Michiru started.

"What? I was just working out a counterpoint."

Michiru's eyes widened, "You wrote a counterpoint to Quiet?"

"Yeah, so?" Haruka was being defensive to protect her embarrassment.

"I'd like to hear it."

"It isn't good."

"I don't agree," broke in Haruka's mom, "The last seventeen or eighteen versions, besides sounding almost exactly the same, sounded rather nice alongside it."

"Mo-om."

"Play it for Michiru sometime."

"Sometime," Haruka glowered, "when it's done."

"You're so cute when you pout like that," said her mother. Haruka rolled her eyes. Michiru giggled. Haruka glared at her and took the offensive.

"So, violin, eh? My friend told me that violinists get a mark on their necks from playing, and if they play often enough, it's permanent, is that so?"

"Yes it is," replied Michiru coldly.

"Oh really?" Haruka's mother leaned in, "You have one as well? May we see it?"

Michiru huffed in Haruka's direction, but obligingly pushed her hair out of the way.

"Ah, why are there two?" asked Mrs. Tennoh.

"The lighter one is from when I play the viola. I don't play it as often and if I don't play it again it will fade." She had coolly met Haruka's eyes during this. Haruka arched an eyebrow and smirked.

"Is that so?" Haruka's mother seemed completely convinced by the boldfaced lie.

Michiru kept her eyes locked with Haruka's. A small smile teased her lips.

"When violinists get together we call the marks hickeys. For most serious violinists, your instrument is the only lover you let close enough to give them."

……..

Haruka had disappeared a little while ago and Michiru slipped off to the bathroom. She finished washing her hands and fixing her hair in the brass-tapped marble-counter-topped bathroom and stepped out into the antechamber. Haruka sat, her long legs crossed demurely at the ankles, but dangling at a rakish angle off the vanity countertop.

If the sight affected Michiru, she didn't show it. Haruka beckoned her closer, but she merely set her hands on her hips and arched an eyebrow.

"What are you afraid of? Are you scared I'll ravish you in a public restroom, or do you want me to?"

"You have a habit of mussing my hair and I have just gotten it straightened out."

"I like it mussed."

"I would prefer not to show signs of being ravished by my fiancé's sister when I return to the tea table."

"No? Why ever not?" Haruka mocked.

"Does your mother know that her beloved piano-playing daughter doubles as a transvestite-lesbian-playboy-racer?"

Haruka winced. "Harsh, but I told you you held my secrets."

"Well you managed to leave out one important one, or did I not need to know that I was _fucking_ my fiancé's sister?" 'fucking' was hissed.

"Well, now that you know, how about one more time?"

Michiru stared at her. Haruka tilted her head and pushed her hair out of her face.

"I am engaged to your brother, as you know. There's no sense of betrayal or anything?"

Haruka slipped off the countertop and prowled up to Michiru. "Yeah I feel a sense of betrayal," she said. Michiru could feel her breath on her face. "I feel betrayed by my brother who went and got engaged to the woman I'm in-in lust with."

Michiru just looked at her, noting the stutter.

Haruka glared, "Are you a lesbian whose marrying my brother or a straight girl who just likes to bat for the other team once in a while."

That was not an easy question and Michiru gave no expression. Haruka winced, coming to her own conclusions.

"Well I've been taken for a ride. I'm supposed to be the racer, but you're the one who drove me crazy." She chuckled, "and rode me like a cowboy. Well, now I know niichan's a lucky dude."

"I don't think I can use all the tactics I used with you, and, well, I may have a little more experience with-"

Haruka was looking deliciously surprised, "are you sure you're not a lesbian?"

"Just because I've never-"

"You've never slept with a man? How many women have you fucked?"

"That is an uncouth question, Haruka, it's not like you've slept with any men either, right?"

"Yeah, but I'm not fooling myself. I'm not getting married to one. What are you doing with my brother? What fucking mind-games are you playing? God, maybe I don't like you after all!"

"Haruka! Fine, that's nice to say when it's all your fault!"

"What?"

"I was fine! I like your brother, he's nice and funny and charming, _unlike you_. I'm not marrying him because I want to hide something. I'm not using him, or at least I wasn't until you came alone. You just screwed up my head. I didn't figure you out right away, alright? Take your victory. You fooled me; I thought you were a guy, a really attractive guy. But you aren't. It was a lie. And I got through to that eventually, but I still have a memory of that moment of hope, hope that I wouldn't have to settle. And I'm not settling, I like Ichiro, my mom set me up with so many boys, and he's the only one I liked, probably one reason was because met him on my own. And he's attractive, but he's not attractive like _you_." With the 'you' Michiru pushed Haruka away from her and stood defensively a few steps away. "Why do you have to make me feel like this?"

"You think I'm more attractive than my brother?" Haruka asked incredulously.

"Why won't you leave me alone?"

"You are impossibly confusing."

Michiru stuck a finger in her chest. "I don't like you. You are obnoxiously attractive, but I can't even talk to you for fifteen minutes without hating you violently and," she resisted these words, but they came out anyway, slowly and with too much breath, "desperately needing to kiss you."

Haruka froze, "now?"

"Now." And they were kissing slowly, deeply, one of Haruka's hands was in her hair, the other pushed against her back, between her shoulder blades, Michiru hooked one arm around her neck and the other was a bit too low to be considered on the small of her back.

"Too much fucking clothing," Haruka mumbled. Her hands slipped down to Michiru's butt and she pressed their hips together. Michiru shuddered in her arms.

"We can't—your mom—public restroom—." Fingers pressed against her crotch and she groaned.

"Just… quickly," Haruka murmured into her mouth, "_please… sex_."

"Door," Michiru mumbled and slapped away the hands hiking up her skirt, pushing Haruka off shakily. She clenched her fists, closed her eyes and shook her head. Haruka dropped to her knees and slid her hands up Michiru's calves. Michiru stepped away from pleading blue eyes and towards the door. Her hand had almost reached the lock when the door opened and Haruka's mother stepped into the anteroom.

"Michiru-san, oh Haruka, that's where you disappeared off to."

Haruka was down on hands and knees and was to all appearances hunting for something in the thick rug. She glanced up. "Yes, er, I dropped something-_ my dignity_," she muttered.

"I was helping look," said Michiru, "but I fear it's gone."

"Oh? What did you drop Haruka-chan?"

"My, er, contact." Michiru tried not to betray her bewilderment that Haruka wore contacts at all.

"You're not going to find that, and if you did you couldn't put it back in anyways. Just put on your glasses and go out again. But don't finish all the scones, we're all going out to dinner at seven and you'll ruin your appetite."

"I'm fine, I just needed them to read the menu and things."

"Well, you'll wear them at dinner then."

"Mo-om."

"I don't see why you're so reluctant to wear your glasses. You look so cute in them."

"Mom!" Haruka cried out.

"You really are so silly and vain. Are you trying to impress Michiru or something? I'll be back in a bit." She crossed the antechamber and entered the bathroom. The door swung shut behind her. Haruka and Michiru looked at each other.

"You wear glasses?"

Haruka scowled, "They're just reading glasses." But Michiru was still smirking, "Your hair is sticking up in the back and your lipstick is smeared."

"And whose fault is that?"

"Hey, I wasn't the one who said 'kiss me now.'"

"I didn't say that!"

Haruka stood up and gave a half smile. "I just did."

Michiru put her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrows. "Your mother is in the bathroom one door away from here and due to come out any moment and you want to pick up where we left off?"

"Not where we left off, because that would involve me going down on you, and I don't think we have time for that."

"I am going to fix my hair and make-up, and you are not going to mess them up again." Michiru stalked over to the vanity counter and set her purse on it. She took out everything she needed and got to work. Haruka just stood there, watching her in the mirror. Michiru, not stopping her process, watched Haruka watching her.

She closed her eyes as she finished spreading her lipstick onto both her lips, and then she turned to Haruka and beckoned.

"I thought you didn't want me messing you up again?" Michiru pressed down firmly on Haruka's shoulder until their faces were level. Then she twisted open a tube of lip-gloss. "Eh?"

Haruka's mother came back in as Michiru was covering Haruka's lower lip. She watched, smiling slightly, until the danger was through, and then spoke. "Finally someone's taken her in hand. I tried to teach her to put on make up correctly, but a more hopeless student I have never seen."

Haruka pouted, "don't need make-up."

Michiru sheathed the lip-gloss applicator. Mrs. Tennoh hooked both of their arms and led them out of the bathroom.

"So, we have over an hour before we meet Ichiro for dinner. What should we do?"

The word Ichiro had caused silence in her two companions.

"I know! Let's go walking by the sea." Then she looked down, "oh, but it is overcast and sort of windy out."

"No," started Michiru and Haruka at the same time. They exchanged a glance.

"I like that idea," said Michiru.

"Me too."

………

It was overcast and windy, and the evening was falling and the light was dim. They walked along the sandy path next to the bay and at the end of the point reached a bench where they sat and looked over the dark water. It was a little chilly out and Michiru was glad for the presence of Mrs. Tennoh or it would have been just too easy to press into Haruka's side and beg for an arm around her shoulders. The fact was getting harder to ignore, the fact that she had lied before. She did like Haruka. She liked her a lot. Sure she was frustrating, childish, insatiable, and utterly obnoxious, but she was also likeable, inspite of these, or maybe because of these things. The cool charming sexy boy of the night before hadn't lasted after Michiru had kissed her. And she didn't know if she would have slept with the cool charming sexy boy, but there was something about taking away someone's mask, making them vulnerable, well, it made them real, and there was something about a real person that was far more interesting than a mask. Why couldn't it be them? Why couldn't things be happening the right way? Why couldn't she be falling in love with her own fiancé? Why couldn't she have Haruka? Not that she wanted her forever like that, she reminded herself. Because no matter how much she liked her, and she was very attracted to her as well, she didn't want to live with her, not that half-boy in that bachelor-flat where she had spent last night and most of today. The only thing worth keeping from there was the bed. And, well, she had pleasant smelling soap. Michiru violently shook the image of her own brand of shampoo and conditioner next to Haruka's clustered in a corner of the shower. What was she thinking? Was she actually trying to work out what it would be like if they moved in together? This was stupid. Haruka was a player. If anything, her little speech taught her that. Commitment phobic, probably for her brother too, this was likely a whole big plot set up to break up her and Ichiro, that was entirely based off of a coincidental meeting in one of the cities' hundreds of clubs. Well, maybe not so coincidental on her part, she had gone to one of the clubs known for where the racers sometimes came and hung out. The odds of the particular racer she _wasn't_ actually looking for being there were higher than just any club. This whole mess was her fault, but it was definitely no time to be playing around with her fiancé's sister. She just had to get over this.

Haruka had gotten up from the bench. She was standing at the edge of the water. The wind was in her hair. Her long thin jacket and skirt were also caught and fluttering. Her hands were deep in the pockets of her coat, and she was staring out into the darkness, her face relaxed and sadder than Michiru had ever seen it.

Even if they had been alone, Michiru wasn't sure if she could have gone up to her and put her arms around her waist, and that made her wonder how many masks she wore, or possibly who sexy and charming Sorada Haruka and teasing childish Tennoh Haruka shared their body with and whether that person could be friends with the part of Michiru who has never been touched, if they could stand by the sea in the wind together without touching but without having to be a well-adjusted liar either.

"Oh my! It's almost seven! If we don't hurry Ichiro will give up on us!"

………..

"I'm so glad you're getting on with my sister and my mom. They can be too much for some people." Michiru smiled hesitantly as Ichiro took her coat.

"Um, no. We're getting along okay."

"Mom said you and Haruka-chan were really hitting it off."

"Er." She looked at Ichiro's combed blonde hair and dark blue eyes. "We have some things in common." She sighed, "I like her, but I don't know how well I know her yet."

"She does like her secrets." He grinned.

"And I note that you didn't mention that your sister races your company car."

"You recognized her? Not many people do, not unless they've met her before, and most people do not revolve in both those circles." Michiru just shrugged mysteriously.

It was a different dynamic with all three Tennohs there. Mrs. Tennoh still told embarrassing anecdotes about both of them. Haruka was still childish about them, Ichiro would just laugh. He was the more mature one, or played that role at least. He probably had since before their dad had died. He was the man of the family. His mother still treated him like a little boy. Though since Haruka had never grown past ten in her mind, this was unsurprising. When Haruka interacted with her brother, however, she wasn't the petulant child like she was with her mother, but more competitive. He was her big brother, but until he got off that pedestal, she never let herself be bested by him. She would always tell him he was wrong. When he stopped acting the big man in the long pants they both devolved into children and there were occasional threats of a food fight. It was when Michiru got added into the equation that things got weird.

Occasionally she was just a selected audience for their bickering, but when Ichiro got to talking about them as a couple, and invited Michiru to talk about herself, Haruka turned off all her charm and childish friendliness. She watched Michiru, carefully, and Michiru almost felt as if it was the girl she had seen at the beach watching her, because it wasn't any other Haruka she could recognize.

Ichiro also seemed slightly disconcerted by this intense Haruka. He might have put it down to protectiveness if his mother hadn't told him how well they were getting along before. And when Haruka was looking at her like that, Michiru was having a hard time talking as effortlessly as she usually did, as inanely as she usually could. She wanted to fight. She wanted to call Haruka on this other person and make her tell her everything about her. She wanted to know her, all the way through. And she wished Haruka was sitting next to her rather than across from her, but that was metaphorical and impossible (in the metaphorical sense).

Finally, Michiru met Haruka's gaze and held it, held it as intensely as it was given. When it fully registered, Haruka almost jumped back and she was taken over by a different Haruka, one with childlike eyes. Michiru let her go and smiled almost shyly.

Ichiro was staring at them, but Mrs. Tennoh was suppressing a laugh.

"I told you they got along."

Ichiro laughed then and Michiru joined him. Haruka smiled, but tipped her head to guard her face with her hair.

After that the conversation wasn't quite so halting. But though Ichiro was always honest, but big brother and bickering child were him, Haruka and Michiru were not so honest and they never shared an open glance. Mrs. Tennoh was just as jovial, but there was something behind her eyes.

After dinner it was dark and beginning to rain. They stood out under the awning and discussed their return home.

"Michiru shouldn't have to go back to her hotel alone," started Ichiro.

"I'll share a cab with Michiru, My flat's near her hotel," said Haruka.

"Oh." Ichiro sounded surprised.

"No worries, right Michi-chan?" Haruka asked with a grin.

" Well I suppose sharing a cab wouldn't be too much of a sacrifice."

Mrs. Tennoh laughed, "You two go. Ichiro-kun will escort me home."

Laughing and teasing Haruka and Michiru said their goodbyes and got into a cab. Ichiro leaned down into the open door and kissed her. They gave the direction to the cabbie, the door shut. The cab pulled away. Haruka turned to Michiru.

"Break the engagement." Her voice was icy cold.

"What?"

"I can't watch you doing this to him. I can't watch you lie to him."

"And I'm the only one lying?"

"I didn't know you were his fiancée. And I'm not engaged. I'm not fucking around on my fiancé."

"Look, I know it was a mistake. It was a really idiotically stupid mistake, and I don't know what I'm supposed to do about it. It was supposed to be over the moment I left your apartment. I was supposed to have time to repent and regret, not more temptation, not more of you."

"What am I? Am I that irresistible? Can you not control yourself around me?"

"Who was the one who was moaning '_please… sex_' in the bathroom this afternoon?"

"You're utterly fuckable, but you're not marriage material, because you're a cheater."

"I am not! I'm not married yet. It was my _last_ fling. You don't have any-

"Eh, here's the stop," remarked the cabbie.

"Finally." Michiru paid him and stepped out.

"I'm not done yet!" Haruka jumped out after her. It was pouring. Haruka caught her arm. Michiru turned. They were suddenly pressing against each other, their mouths savagely meeting.

They were drenched. Michiru pushed her soaked hair out of her face. "The taxi's gone. Do you want to come up? We do need to talk, I think."

"Yeah." Haruka followed her into the hotel and into the elevator.

………..

"I'm not sleeping with you," said Haruka rebelliously.

Michiru tilted her head questioningly as she rubbed down her hair with a hand towel. "You sure about that? It's getting late and the sofa isn't that comfortable."

"You know what I mean."

"No, I don't think I do," Michiru said with a hint of anger in her voice. "You seem to think that I'm some kind of slut. Do you want me to seduce you? I don't doubt that I could, but I have never instigated sex. Kissing yes, but kissing is not sex."

"It is the way you do it," Haruka mumbled, pouting.

Michiru arched an eyebrow. "I _will _take that as a compliment. Look, I'm going to take a shower, you should go after me, you don't want to catch a cold, do you?"

"No, mom."

Michiru went around the hotel room, gathering her shower things. "If I did break the engagement, what would you give me?"

"What?"

Michiru paused at the door to the bathroom. "How much of this is about protecting your brother, and how much of it is about wanting me? If you want me you have to give me something in return. Think about it." She disappeared into the bathroom.

Michiru was only half undressed when her shower space was invaded.

"If you're going to join me do you think we can indulge in a bath?"

"I'm not going to- oh man."

Michiru put her hands on her hips. "I'm sure you've seen a woman in underwear before. In point of fact, you have seen me in underwear before, as well as completely naked. So I don't see your problem."

Haruka grinned a little. "However, I think I will hold off on accosting you for ten minutes, because you naked was never something I could really deal with." She spun and walked out the door.

"Shower it is," Michiru said to herself and sighed.

She came out about ten minutes later wearing a nightgown and toweling her hair. She threw Haruka a bathrobe and a grin. "Your turn."

"What, but- talk?"

"Shower. You are soaked, and you have made wet spot on my sofa."

"Ahh," Haruka looked down at herself, "I suppose you are somewhat correct. I think I will take you up on that."

Michiru rummaged around in her drawers some more. Then she chucked a ball of t-shirt and boxers at Haruka.

"Am I staying the night?" Haruka asked, inspecting the clothing.

"That's up to you."

Haruka fled into the bathroom. Michiru heard the door lock and smiled.

"Nothing I haven't seen before," she called out. Inside, Haruka blushed.

She came out in the t-shirt and boxers with the bathrobe open and trailing from her shoulders. Michiru was sitting and combing out her hair. Haruka slouched into the chair again, but felt the damp and jumped up. Then she gingerly sat on the arm of the chair,

"Why do you have to be so goddamn pretty?" she asked, rhetorically. Michiru glanced up.

"I could ask the same question of you, though I would probably avoid the profanity."

"The _same_ question? You think I'm _pretty_?"

"Rather." Michiru sighed, "Haruka, you are pretty. Do you honestly think otherwise?"

"Well, I would say more handsome, or good-looking, or cool. I may be a pretty boy, but you have seen me in a skirt, and still, I may add, wanted to kiss me."

"Why shouldn't I? I think you're a pretty girl, and you're not a pretty boy, you make a pretty boy, but you are a girl, and you are in no way less pretty when you're not hiding that fact."

"So you don't think I'm a half-boy, wrong body, weird-freak, some kind of non-human thing named an Androg or anything?"

"I think that you're a pretty girl who is not necessarily comfortable in her own skin. And I think that if you really let yourself be a girl, you would still have just as many sleepovers."

"Sleepovers? Is that what you told your mom when you were discovering your lesbian identity?" Michiru only blushed a little. "What did she do when she found out that your innocent sleepovers weren't so innocent after all?"

"She set me up with every single eligible man in her acquaintance."

"Was Ichiro one of these?"

"Oh no, all of those guys had two strikes against them already, he knew my mother, and she thought he was good enough. No I met Ichiro all by my self."

"You didn't pick him up in a bar, did you?"

"No. I was at a friend's opening and I dropped my drink. He caught it for me, and it didn't spill a drop. We talked and he was funny and charming and interesting. A lot of men get distracted around me. They don't always listen to what I'm saying. Ichiro was very attentive. And he is very good-looking. I would never say he's pretty. But he isn't pull me off my feet attractive, either. But then again, no one has been quite as pull me off my feet attractive as you." Michiru chuckled. "I remember once I told you that I wasn't easy. It really wasn't a lie until I met you."

"You really do like Ichiro, don't you? I can hear it."

"Yes. I honestly do, but I just can't get you out of my system."

Haruka laughed. "Same for me. Things just haven't gotten back to normal since I met you, and when was that? Last night? I guess we both need some time just to re-settle. Probably time apart would be good."

"Yes, but do you really want to go out there? You've just gotten dry."

Haruka looked down. "Could I stay, without having sex?" she asked.

"I'm not going to pressure you. Last night really was going to be it, even if I was close to breaking that promise in the bathroom today."

"Ah, don't remind me of that. So, do you mind me being in your bed?"

Michiru just smiled and shook her head.

"Do you have a book, or something? So I can avoid thinking about your body."

Michiru laughed at that, "Yes, there's a few in this bag. Does this mean I finally get to see your reading glasses? You didn't wear them during dinner."

Haruka bit her lip, then she chuckled, "Well, they'll probably help with the avoiding sex." She went over to her soggy pile of clothes and dug a glasses case out of her pocket.

"Hang those up. They need to be dry if you want to get home tomorrow."

By the time Haruka had hung up her clothes and found a book that was to her liking, Michiru was already in bed with her own book. Haruka climbed in next to her, then took out her glasses and put them on. She looked at Michiru, who looked back. Then she nodded.

"I like them."

"You're laughing at me, I can tell you're laughing at me," grumbled Haruka.

"I am not. You are very cute in leopard-print rectangular frames." She kissed Haruka's cheek. "Possibly not sexy, but definitely cute."

Haruka couldn't believe she blushed at that, and quickly hid her face behind her book. Michiru snuggled down farther in bed beside Haruka and pressed her back against her side and began to read. She didn't want to think. This whole situation was far too similar to the daydream she had had about shampoo bottles, and with a player like Haruka, it was never going to be more than a lonely daydream.

It was a while later when Haruka switched off the light. Michiru was asleep and Haruka rescued her book from where it had dropped from her fingers. She put both of theirs on the bedside table and thought about leaving, just disappearing into the rain. But she couldn't. and that was why she wanted to go, because of how much she wanted to stay. So she gave up on the idea and just lay there, next to Michiru for a while. It had been so easy to sleep with her last night. But last night they had been exhausted from really excellent sex, but tonight, it was Saturday night, for god's sake. They should be out, partying, dancing. But why '_they'_? Haruka caught herself. Michiru had given that up for Ichiro. She wasn't supposed to go clubbing anymore, and definitely not with her, though they could really raise a storm if they went together. She rolled over and slid her hand down Michiru's side. Michiru murmured and curled up a little. Haruka rested her head against her back and pressed her knees against the inside of Michiru's knees. She closed her eyes. She could be out dancing; she could bring another girl back to her apartment; she could be having sex. Her hand curled up around Michiru's shoulder. It's not like it's serious, she thought. It's just one night. I'm not going to make a habit out of this, or anything. Yeah, curling up chastely with my brother's fiancée? Definitely not habit forming material.

……..

It was slightly worrying, but waking up to Haruka spooning against her back was actually beginning to feel normal. The clothes gave this one an interesting flavor though, and the fact that they hadn't actually had sex made it very different than the time before. And of course they weren't going to have sex again, or continue in carnal activities until around three. They were actually going to get up and get dressed and…

Haruka made little mumbling noises as she woke up. She stretched out, loosing Michiru as she did so, who rolled over to look at her. Then she snuggled down again, pressing her head against Michiru's shoulder.

Michiru sighed, "Not ready to get up yet?"

"Don't wanna," Haruka mumbled against her chest.

"I'm beginning to see why you don't like your lovers to stay the night." She attempted to extricate her self. "You can stay in bed. But I am getting up."

"No!" and Haruka clung to her, making it impossible for her to leave. "Want you here."

She rolled on top of her and then to all appearances, went back to sleep.

"Haruka-a-a," Michiru groaned. "You get no sex, you turn into a five-year-old."

Haruka tilted her head up. "Nn?"

Michiru sighed and ran her hand through the tousled blonde locks. "Why is it so easy to be with you?"

"'s I'm a pretty girl," she said, and scooched up higher until her face was level with Michiru's. "And I'm de-de-devilishly handsome too."

"No ego-boost required," muttered Michiru.

"And I wuv you, lots and lots," she said, and kissed Michiru right on the lips. Michiru's jaw dropped and Haruka tried to kiss her again, but she kept her off and Haruka kissed her cheek instead.

"Haruka! Wake up properly!" Michiru shoved Haruka off of her.

"Wha-a-at?" Haruka sat up, balanced on the edge of the bed, rocked, and was falling off the edge. Michiru lunged out and grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her so she fell back onto the bed, on, in fact, to Michiru.

"Are you in fact awake now?" Michiru asked Haruka, who had her face buried in her cleavage.

"Nope," she said in a more normal tone, though it was muffled, "I like it here."

"I thought we had decided that we were going to see less of each other?"

"But I like this view."

"You are a pervert."

Haruka put her hands on Michiru's shoulders and met her eyes. "You are a morning person, and that is just as bad. It's like seven o'clock." She grumbled a bit. "You weren't up so early yesterday."

Michiru flicked her under the chin. "But that night I didn't get as much sleep. I think you had a lot to do with that, which is one of the reasons that we are getting up now."

Haruka stuck her face back into Michiru's cleavage. "Don't wanna get up."

"If you get up and stop molesting me, I'll buy you breakfast."

Haruka was out of the bed in seconds. Michiru followed more leisurely and was going through the drawers when Haruka stuck her head out of the bathroom.

"My clothes are still wet."

"Did you spread them out properly?"

"Ah-"

"Or just hang them in a crumpled mass? The hair dryer is under the sink and feel free to go through my closet, but ask before you run off with anything."

"Yay!" Haruka started going through her clothes. "Wow, you have a lot of clothes? Did you bring everything you own or something?"

Michiru glanced up from her mirror. "Yes, I did. Why-"

"Everything! But it's a hotel-"

"I've lived in hotels almost all my life. It's not as if I have any other place to keep clothes that I still wear. You don't need to go run to your mother's house every time you want your favorite skirt, do you?"

"You live in hotels? Why don't you have your own place?"

"I travel a lot, for my job. It's not sensible to have a place if I'm only going to be there a few months in the year. When I'm recording I'll sometimes rent out a house. I had a summer off once and I rented a place out on the peninsula. I liked it out there. If I was going to buy a house I think I'd buy that one, but it would be hard to live there on my own, and it's a moot point now anyways."

Haruka chuckled grimly. "Yeah, you'll be moving in with Ichiro, won't you? Mom will love that. Before I moved out she was always after both of us to bring someone home. Now that I don't live there anymore she's let up on me a bit. I think she just wants more kids to fill up the house a little. She was so sad when I left, but it's not like I don't come home every Wednesday for dinner, and every Sunday for lunch and every Tuesday to do my laundry."

"But you don't _live_ there anymore. Though you do still call it home."

"Well it is. I don't know what makes something home, but my flat doesn't have it yet."

"It might be a kitchen."

"I have a kitchen!"

"You do not, you have a refrigerator and a microwave. That is a kitchen for a dorm room."

"I have a sink too," Haruka pouted.

"Not a kitchen." Michiru pulled something out of the closet that Haruka had abandoned. "Here, this'll look nice on you." She held out a gathered linen skirt, light blue.

"Blue? I usually just wear black skirts and things…" Michiru narrowed her eyes, "Okay, blue it is." Then she found her a sort of Greek-flavored top, white. Haruka hustled off into the bathroom to change. Michiru finished dressing herself and then sat down to do her make up. When Haruka came out of the bathroom she watched her again, with an almost mystical reverence. She finished and turned, "Does it really make that much of a difference?" she asked Haruka, "is it some sort of transformation?"

Haruka grinned embarrassedly, "Naw, you're prettier without it, sexier with it, but prettier without."

Michiru was actually stunned by this and couldn't say anything in response. Haruka sat down on the edge of the table and grinned.

"Do me now, and quick, 'cause I want that breakfast you promised and church starts at nine."

"Church?" Michiru shook out of her surprise.

"Yeah, mom expects me every week, it's utterly boring but we can play footsie!"

"I am _not_ sitting next to you!"

………

Sitting across from each other at a coffee shop, eating French bread and marmalade, Michiru asked, "So, honestly, church? With your practices?"

"Hey," Haruka grinned, "It's a family thing. We've gone regularly ever since our dad died. It's not like he was ever there before hand, but after he was really gone my mom decided we needed a father figure in our lives, even if it was just once a week. We went to Sunday school and everything. I was even an altar boy until I was caught making out with the Sunday school teacher's daughter in the vestry and they kind of remembered that I was actually an altar girl."

"You putz!" Michiru thwacked her over the head, "In a church?"

Haruka just grinned more, "Lots of good memories in that church. They were trying to indoctrinate us in some religion or other, spent a lot of time talking about sin, teenage fornication and such like. But I had just cut my hair, and no one knew me at Sunday school. Who cared about the old musty books, long words, and stupid rules? Girls _liked_ me! It was killer."

Michiru just laughed.

Haruka leaned forward across the table, "So what about you? When did you figure out you wanted to fornicate with the female sex?"

Michiru tried to look appalled and not laugh. It was not entirely successful. Then she just shrugged, "It wasn't like you," she said, and chuckled a little, "My parents sent me to boarding school, an all girl's boarding school. Things are a little different at schools like that. Some girls went to any lengths to find boys. They would sneak out and go to town dances and things, but the rest of us just made do with what we had. I left after middle school to go to a music conservatory, which was probably good, because weird power games went on at boarding school. But I had already been indoctrinated. Kissing girls was apparently a normal phase that, well, I'm still working on growing out of. In boarding school I was being mentored by an older violinist who decided that I needed mentoring in other areas besides music and liked pushing me into practice rooms and kissing me."

"And I thought you said violinists only let their violins close enough to give them hickies."

Michiru smiled. "In conservatory I lost my virginity to a second viola." Haruka cracked up at this. "Violinists were always so competitive, but someone who devoted themselves to the viola, that was a different type of person. I also dated a bass and a trumpet."

"I love it how you refer to people by their instrument."

"I have this strange fetish, but if someone plays really beautifully and touchingly I am incredibly attracted to them. The bassist took me out to a club, to hear her band. That was when I started getting with non-musicians. When I got a contract to tour I hit a lot of clubs, and boys liked me. But I was never going to go home with one of them. You get all these warnings about boys, and how they're dangerous and out to get you, but no one mentions the fact that girls are interested in the same thing."

Haruka smirked and sipped her coffee. "You like sex, don't you?"

Michiru raised both eyebrows. "You're saying you didn't figure this out?"

"I remember you telling me you weren't easy."

"I'm not! I have standards. But they're not impossible to overcome."

"Especially if you're horny." Michiru thwapped Haruka over her head.

"I don't sleep with just anyone!"

"No?" Haruka smirked again, "They have to be attractive, female, and interested, anything else?"

"Hey, those are hard parameters to meet." Michiru laughed. "I'm really not like that," she paused, "anymore. I have to admit that right after high school, when I just started touring, it really would be hot girl likes me, and I would end up in her bed." Michiru grinned, "If we got that far. But I have totally gotten over the allure of the bathroom floor. Never again. I'm sure I ruined my knees-"

Haruka stared, "You would do that? _I_ used to do that. Wasn't it-"

Michiru looked up. "Really, really awful and demeaning?"

"Yeah."

"It was. I was really lonely then. I had colleagues, but no friends. And it _so_ wasn't worth it. So my standards went up. I wouldn't ever go home with someone I had just met. I haven't gone home with someone I had just met until you showed up." Michiru smiled darkly. Haruka chuckled. "Not since Minako."

"Minako?"

"We did talk a lot before I went to her hotel. She knew what it was like to travel all the time and not have any friends. It was funny, we were on similar tour routes so we would cross paths all the time and we would go out together, and then go back to the hotel together. We were actually dating, though it was more fooling around than anything else. Then my mom caught us together and completely freaked out. Apparently I was supposed to have grown out of that phase by then." Michiru shrugged. "She made me quit the tour and set me up on so many dates with these unbelievably obnoxious men. Some of them were like fifty! My mom should have been dating them, not me. Finally my manager had a talk with her and she let me go back on tour, but I still had to go on marriage material dates when I was near home. I think she had spies on me too for a while to make sure I wasn't sleeping with any women. But I was looking for a guy then too, someone to get my mom off my back. There were really only two or three girls between Minako and meeting Ichiro. Then there was you, but we both know that was a mistake."

Haruka grinned. "And how much of this rip-roaring tale are you going to share with your future husband?"

"Er," Michiru smiled worriedly, "How much do you think he could deal with?"

"I don't know. I mean, he was an altar boy with me, so he knew about my exploits at the church. But when he walked in on me and the Sunday school's teacher's daughter in the library at home he kind of freaked out. However it was probably the most he had ever seen of a girl. She was up on my dad's old writing desk, her skirt hiked up around her waist and her shirt unbuttoned, and, well, her knees were over my shoulders."

"How old were you?"

"You didn't tell me how old you were when you slept with the viola."

"I was fifteen."

"Well I was fourteen, when I went down on that girl, Mairi, was her name, but she couldn't deal with touching me." Haruka scowled. "But I popped her, I did. She got married to some boy right out of high school, but she had run away in two months. Last I heard someone came back to town saying that they had seen her picture in the sex industry somewhere. I guess she got over that hang-up. But the first time someone was into me…" she paused, "sixteen, my sixteenth birthday." She sort of smiled, staring into space. "Life was good. I knew sixteen was going to be a good year." She turned back to Michiru, "Ichiro got lucky for the first time that year too, but he was eighteen, First year of college. He called me and told me he was in love. He had met this girl in his economics class and they studied together. They started to date. His friends gave him condoms and he had no idea what he was supposed to do. So he called me. I almost died laughing. My poor little big brother wanted to make a good impression. I gave him some pointers and he pulled it off. He actually got a bit of a reputation on campus and as soon as the girls were after him that being in love stuff was over."

Michiru was staring in disbelief. "Your brother asked _you_ for advice?"

"Well I had more experience. God knows why. He had enough girls who liked him in high school, but they didn't know what they wanted and niichan can be a bit of a dumbass. He was actually surprised by the fan club he got during college. He never really got it that people don't like you for you, they like you for what you can give them."

"Haruka, you-" Michiru started softly, but Haruka glanced at he watch and jumped up.

"It's almost nine! We're going to be late!"

Michiru chased Haruka down the street and suddenly realized that they were at the hotel they had met for tea at yesterday. She followed Haruka down into the underground parking lot to a bright yellow convertible. Haruka unlocked it and opened her door. Michiru hesitantly got in and put on her seat belt. It was a good idea. Haruka drove like an insane person. The church was six miles away on small roads and they got there in five minutes. Haruka pulled Michiru out of the car and they raced into the entryway of the church. "Haruka! Haruka! Stop!"

Haruka stopped at the doors to the nave. "Do you really think that?" Michiru asked.

"What?" said Haruka. "Come on lets go in."

Michiru wrapped her arms around Haruka's neck, pulled her down and kissed her. "I'll like you even if we never have sex again." Haruka gaped vaguely at her. Michiru smiled. "It serves you right for this morning anyways." Then she turned and reached to open the doors to the nave, arms slipped around her waist and she was pulled up against Haruka.

"You drive me crazy." Hot breath brushed against her ear.

"You are crazy." Michiru wriggled and turned around in her arms. "What are you gonna do? Kiss me? Church is really an aphrodesiac for you, isn't it."

"And being kissed by a beautiful woman isn't supposed to turn me on?" Haruka wound a strand of hair around her finger, slowly tugging Michiru's face closer to hers. Michiru almost let her, but suddenly shoved her away.

"God, you're messing me up so much. You're so confusing and I want to figure you out, but I'm scared of you, I'm scared of falling in love with you."

Haruka sighed and let her go. "Don't be. Ichiro's much more loveable than me. No one who really gets to know me can stick around. They can't deal with how crazy I am, and I can't deal with being restricted. I'm a player, I need a new girl every night."

Michiru raised an eyebrow incredulously. "Every night?"

Haruka scowled. "Every Saturday night at _least_." Michiru laughed. Haruka looked affronted. "That was my rejection of you, can't you even respond properly to that?"

"I don't think I ever respond properly to you. I haven't since the day I saw you race. But come on, we're already late."

They slipped down the side aisle to where Mrs. Tennoh and Ichiro had saved Haruka a seat.

"Sorry I'm late," Haruka whispered, "I swung by to pick up Michiru," she lied glibly.

Mrs. Tennoh smiled widely and scrunched in to make room.

……..

When they all got back to the ancestral home of the Tennoh family Ichiro pulled Haruka aside in the mudroom.

"You're really getting along with Michiru, aren't you?" he asked, eagerly and a bit nervously.

"Yeah," Haruka said softly, "She's a great girl."

"Yeah," Ichiro agreed. "She's almost too perfect."

Haruka couldn't stop the bark of laughter that startled Ichiro. "She's not perfect." Haruka laughed again. "She's not nearly perfect. But she is really amazing."

"Have you, have you got her to talk about herself? I've tried, but she can deflect things…"

Haruka looked at her feet. "She's scared of telling you some things. She isn't perfect and she's done some things… she reminds me of me sometimes, and well, you know me. God, I'm probably terrifying you…" she looked up at Ichiro's soft dark eyes.

"You do like her."

Haruka gave a half smile, "She's like me, except she hasn't given up." Then she grinned and slapped Ichiro on the shoulder. "And she is fucking _hot,_ man, how did you get her?"

Ichiro chuckled. "Just lucky I guess."

"Or in deep, deep trouble." Haruka gave an impenetrable grin and sauntered away.

"Hey! What aren't you telling me?"

……..

"Haruka-chan," started her mom, "Play for Michiru before lunch."

"Mo-om, I'm not on show here. She's supposed to be interested in niichan, make him do a trick."

"Hey!" Ichiro laughed. "I'm the hard-working one, Ruka gets to do all the tricks, musical entertainment, stunt driving, oh! Michiru! I'm so sorry, you had to drive with her; she drives like a maniac."

Michiru shook her head, "It was very interesting, and I value my life greatly now. But I do want to hear Haruka play."

Haruka rolled her eyes, "Don't expect anything of it, you've been listening to my only fan and everyone knows her taste bears no resemblance to the rest of reality." But she perched on the stool and opened up the piano. "Keep talking, let me warm up."

Haruka started plunking away lightly on the keys and Michiru turned back to Ichiro.

"So you don't do any tricks?" she asked.

"No, mom tried to sign me up for music lessons, but I was too busy playing baseball. Ruka was the one stuck inside practicing all the time."

"I heard she had better luck with the girls than you."

Ichiro's mouth dropped open. "She, what, you _know_?"

Michiru frowned. "You're okay with that right?"

"Yeah! I mean she's my sister. She's always been a bit of an oddball, but I'm not going to stop loving her or anything. You can deal with it?"

"I, well, it's not a new idea for me or anything. I may have some experience with that sort of thing."

"Oh you have a friend or relative…"

Michiru bit her lip. "Do you ever think Haruka will-" and then she stopped. She froze for a moment, her brow furrowed. She turned away from Ichiro and looked at Haruka. She stood up and walked over to the piano. Her breathing was shallow and she didn't move. Haruka had her eyes closed, or at least wasn't looking up. She eventually brought the piece to a close and glanced up, starting as she noticed Michiru there.

"That's it, that's the counterpoint to Quiet…"

Haruka looked away, "yeah."

"You, you…" she sat on the piano bench next to Haruka and picked up her left hand and looked at it. Then she just sat there, hunched over for a little while.

"Michiru?" Haruka touched her back. "Are you okay?"

Michiru whirled and shoved Haruka away. "Why do you have to be so goddamn perfect!" she yelled, "I know I asked you this before, and I know I have a weird talented musician fetish, but why is it always you? Why does every stupid obnoxious insecure thing you do make me want you more? Yes I liked you when I met you, yes you were cute and funny and as charming as your brother, and yes, you're a good lover-"

"Ah, maybe not the best time for this-"

"But that is nothing new. I've had enough lovers to compare you to, and you scored well, but that isn't important anymore. I just like you. I really, really like you. And I know you're the type to leave me lonely, but I can't take anything but my best shot. Haruka, I love you. I'm in bloody, fucking _love_ with you. And I'm leaving." She turned. "Ichiro, I'm sorry. I like you, but I don't know if I could have trusted you enough to be honest with you. And you don't deserve someone who can only lie." She turned to Mrs. Tennoh. "I'm sorry for making a mess out of things." And Michiru walked out the door.

Haruka sat frozen on the floor next to the piano bench. Ichiro leaned towards her.

"You _slept_ with my fiancée?"

"I didn't know she was your fiancée then!" Haruka cried out.

"So, not last night?"

"Night before," Haruka mumbled. "Though we did sleep together last night, but we didn't _do_ anything in bed. We just snuggled, and read books, and…" she rambled vaguely on.

Ichiro groaned miserably. "I can't believe you stole my fiancée."

"I didn't steal your fiancée. She's just gone! Entirely gone! And I can't breathe properly. She said she could deal with me, but she didn't. She just left, just like everyone does. I can't give her anything. She said I didn't have to, but I can't and she left and-"

Haruka's mom slapped her across the face. "What are you doing here? You're in love; it's been obvious that you two were in love since the moment she walked in the door yesterday! If you don't run and catch her and tell her so, I will be very disappointed in you, Haruka."

"What?"

"What are you, a fool? Don't you_ dare_ let her go!" She pulled Haruka to her feet and shoved her towards the door. Haruka's feet finally got the idea and she was moving. "I want _grandchildren,_ Miss Haruka!"

Ichiro winced as Haruka nearly fell down the stairs. But then his mother turned on him. "And you, the next time you bring a fiancée home you had have better gotten to know her a little better than this. I am going to give you a list of questions that you have got to know the answer to, and one of them will be, 'have you ever had sex with my sister?'"

……..

Haruka busted out of the house and saw the taxi pulling away. She ran to the garage and hopped into her convertible. This was what being a professional racer was good for. She fairly zoomed down the road. Whenever she saw a hint of traffic she would pull into the winding side streets on two wheels. In minutes she reached the hotel, pulled up on the curb and jumped out without even opening the door. She ran up to the counter.

"Has Kaioh Michiru come back?" the man with the small mustache looked at her askance.

"I'm afraid we have just received a call by cellular phone informing us of the termination of her stay and a request that her bags be sent elsewhere."

"Where? Where is she going?"

"I am not at liberty to tell you that, miss."

"But I _need_ to know!"

"I am sorry, miss." He turned and left. Haruka smacked herself in her face.

"Where could she have gone? Where would she go? Home? No, I don't think she'd want to go back to where her mom is. And just another hotel…? The peninsula. She's gone to a house on the peninsula."

Haruka ran back out and jumped back into her car. She drove; she just drove like the wind. But when she got there she parked the car on the side of the road and cut through someone's private property to get to the beach. Then she walked, along the shore. It got less beach-like and more dirty and rocky, and finally she was walking along a thin path surrounded by sea grass. Ahead she managed to glimpse a figure, standing at the very end of the peninsula, looking out to sea. Haruka started to run. She ran and her good long distance vision could see it was right, and she ran faster. She stopped before she reached her, though. She didn't know if she could just go up and put her arms around her, not with her standing there like that, looking more like a part of the landscape than a person, looking like she was carved from rock, and cold like rock, and entirely, entirely alone.

So Haruka did it: walked up and wrapped her arms around her waist. Michiru stiffened in her arms "There's just something about you," she whispered in her ear, "that makes me not want to give up, not want to settle for what I had before, not want to settle for anything but you."

And Michiru turned in her arms and looked appropriately shocked, and it made Haruka smirk. She decided it wasn't worthwhile to let Michiru ask any bewildered questions and just kissed her, and Michiru thought it was a very good idea not to bother with questions at all and kissed her back. Eventually, however, the cold wind got to them and they moved to go inside.

"I bought it," Michiru said as she pulled the door shut behind them. "I just called them up and bought it."

"If I broke the lease on my apartment…"

Michiru turned and let one side of her mouth turn up in a grin. "Have them send your bed. Nothing else is worth saving, but I like your bed." Haruka chuckled. "And your shampoo, don't forget that. I like the way it smells."

Haruka let out a real laugh and tackled Michiru onto the musty oriental rug in front of the fireplace. "I wuv you," she said, her voice muffled in Michiru's chest, "lots and lots."


	2. Ichiro's Part

Ichiro's part

Haruka called at eight that night. Mom wasn't worried yet, though it was always only a matter of time after seeing her blaze off in that convertible until she started to look panicked and distressed and debating on whether she should call the hospital or not. So Haruka called, it was very responsible of her. But Mom didn't have to put the call on speakerphone so I could listen too.

I didn't want to hear that, I didn't want to know that they were calling from bed, or as was later revealed, from a blanket on the floor in front of a fire. And they were sated, I could tell because my ex-fiancée was making my sister giggle as she tried to speak. Giggle! I have never heard Haruka giggle in her _life_! I could not imagine it, my perfect, calm, poised ex-fiancée was making my strong, hurt, angry sister giggle. Even thinking of my beautiful ex-fiancée wrapped in a blanket- well, that was the problem, I couldn't think of her like that. I had only ever seen her perfectly in control except for the few minutes this morning when she totally lost control. But thinking of her as natural, not perfect, not breaking down, and touching my sister… I just can't see her like that.

She said that she was moving in with Michiru in her house on the peninsula and there was only a bare scattering of furniture and things now, but they had called for take-out, built a fire and located a blanket, and now they were going to live happily ever after. I have never hated my sister this much.

She's always had an easier time of attracting women than me, but she never, ever went after a woman I was dating. I didn't know she _could_. Her type of women and my type of women were different? Weren't they? How could Michiru…? How could she lead me on like that! Did she know she…? She slept with my sister while she was engaged to me!

Mom shut off the speakerphone and hugged me. I had missed the last few minutes.

"They're coming over for dinner on Monday. It was terribly rude of Michiru to flee before lunch, wasn't it?" I winced. She hugged me tighter. "I knew she wasn't right for you, darling, the moment I met her. She's too guarded, you're not a guarded person and you shouldn't have to deal with that. You need someone who's more open. She's just a young girl who's been hurt. Haruka-chan… that's what the music meant, Haruka-chan can touch that hurt and maybe make it better."

"But mom, how could she do this to me? How could she get engaged to me if she knew she was… _like that_."

"Ichiro-kun, it's not that easy. You don't always know. And sometimes people spend their whole lives pretending to be something they're not. Michiru is a child who was told that it was impossible to feel that way forever; that she had to become normal sometime. And some people do, some girls have crushes on their friends and then grow up to fall in love with a young handsome man like you. But you never thought Haruka would grow out of it, did you?"

"You can grow out of it?"

"Or into it, people change, feelings change. And Michiru might have been happy with you, if she hadn't found exactly what she was looking for."

"So you're saying that Haruka is Michiru's… soulmate?"

"Oh don't be silly and old fashioned, they just fit, that's all, they're the right fit."

"But what about _me_?"

My mom swatted my head. "Michiru liked you, but you should have known that she wasn't crazy about you. She never confided in you; she never flirted with you."

"What are you talking about? She flirted-"

"Not in the blatantly sexual way she did with Haruka-chan. You should have heard them at tea; it was hilarious. There was this delicious riff on violins and hickies. And then you should have seen Michiru put lip-gloss on Haruka. It was … sexual." She grinned; I winced.

I still couldn't deal with the way everything had turned on its head. I had been happy that everyone was telling me how well my fiancée was getting along with my sister, but I hadn't seen it. they were always bickering, except when Haruka had been so angry at dinner. I had never seen her angry like that. But they weren't in _love_. Wouldn't I have been able to tell?

………..

Monday night came far too quickly. I didn't know what to expect. I couldn't see them together. She was so relaxed and poised, and Haruka, how could someone so perfect be with _her_? She wasn't ever very good at being a girl and when she was a boy she was wild, tough, always proving her self.

Mom called to me when the doorbell rang. She was busy getting dinner together and told me to go get the door. It was an informal dinner. I was in my khaki shorts and a polo shirt. I didn't know what to expect when I opened the door, but it wasn't what I saw.

Haruka wasn't dressed as a boy or a girl. She was wearing pants and a short-sleeved dress shirt open over a black tube top. Her hair was clipped back and there was a definite hint of lip-gloss around. Her head was bent and she was teasing Michiru who was on her arm. Michiru was a shock. She was wearing a sun hat, a green t-shirt with 'wanton squirrel' printed on it, canvas Capri's and funky black sandals. And she was laughing. I was dumbfounded, she was beautiful and she was laughing. I thought I had seen her laugh, made her laugh, but she hadn't laughed like this. She hadn't looked as utterly happy as she did now. And it hit me, it hurt. I didn't want to believe that she could actually love my sister.

She looked at me with that smile, and then it fell, and she looked at me, and I could see the guilt in her eyes and I finally believed what my mom had told me, I finally believed she hadn't meant to hurt me. And I loved her.

I looked at Haruka and she was scared. She had never been scared of me. She was still defiant, but that jutted chin and wide open frown just showed how easy it would be for me to hurt her. And I loved her too.

I stepped forward and hugged them both. I could see what my mom had said, how they just fit, but they both fit in my arms.


End file.
